Grieving family members were stabbed at a wake in a pub after attending their late uncle’s funeral.
The victims – two brothers and a sister – were in the Crusader pub in Clifton with other family and friends when they were attacked by 32-year-old Kyle Parkin who was also there but not for the wake.
The brothers, aged 28 and 29, were at the bar when a man came and spoke to them, followed by Parkin. The older brother felt threatened by Parkin who spoke him for a few moments before a fight broke out.
After he was punched to the floor, Parkin pulled out a knife and stabbed the younger brother to his chest. He did not realise he had been stabbed at that stage but the brothers then ran round the pub into a second bar to get away from Parkin who went after them.
The older brother was also stabbed in his ribs and leg by Parkin during the incident.
When their sister tried to intervene in an argument between her older brother and Parkin, Parkin lashed out with the knife. She felt a sharp pain to her eye and dropped to the floor.
People tried to restrain Parker and called the police but Parkin ran off after the incident which happened at around 11.30pm on 31 May 2019.
The older brother needed 16 stitches in hospital after receiving stab wounds to his chest and knee areas.
His brother, who had trouble breathing after he was stabbed, had to have four stitches in his chest and also suffered a slight puncture to his lung.
Their sister needed four stitches for a slash wound to her eyelid. Her eye was swollen shut after the assault.
Parkin, aged 32, from Corn Croft, Clifton, was arrested the next day after returning to the pub. He went on to plead guilty to three counts of wounding with intent and possession of a knife in a public place.
Parkin also admitted a further count of possession of a knife in a public place in relation to a separate incident – a police vehicle stop in Clifton on 12 April 2021. Parkin, who was driving, was found to have a kitchen knife in his bag.
Parkin appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Monday 13 September 2021. His total sentence was seven-and-a-half years in prison, and four-and-a-half years on extended licence.
Sergeant Stephanie Clough, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: “It is clear Parkin intended to cause serious harm during these violent assaults by sticking a knife into the bodies of the two brothers and striking their sister to the eye.
“Parkin has caused considerable physical and mental damage to the victims as a result of this horrific incident. I hope it brings them some closure and comfort now this dangerous man has been taken off our streets for a lengthy period of time.
“I also hope the outcome of this case reassures people how seriously Nottinghamshire Police treats all reports of knife crime and serious violence.
“While knife crime has reduced significantly in Nottinghamshire we remain committed to driving it down even further and removing dangerous weapons from our streets.
“The consequences of carrying a knife can be devastating which is why the force continues to work tirelessly every day to tackle the issue as well as focusing on preventative work with partners to steer young people away from knife crime in the first place.”
As part of its relentless work to crack down on knife crime, Nottinghamshire Police has two dedicated knife crime teams which are continuing to make an impact by clamping down on weapon-enabled crime and preventing potentially dangerous weapons being used to inflict violence.
The force also has specialist schools and early intervention officers who are working with children across the county, educating them about the consequences of carrying a knife and encouraging them to make positive life choices.
Official figures show that knife crime dropped by 15 per cent in the last financial year.
The reduction in knife crime in Nottinghamshire is also testament of the work of one of the force’s partners, the Violence Reduction Unit, to make streets safer by tackling violence, preventing young people from carrying knives and diverting them away from crime and towards a safer and more positive future.
